Card games remain some of the most played in the world. In fact, some people might assume that the rise of video games would have compromised the popularity of analog games or the appeal of card games in general. In reality, most card games are enjoying a second life in digital form.
From digital collectible card games to centuries-old casino favorites, card games have stood the test of time. As we’ll cover below, new hits are also being released, which challenges the idea that card games are outdated or boring. Let’s explore three of the world’s most robust card game communities, along with a few of the world’s best card players.
Though you might not know these niche celebrities, they’ve all got thousands of followers around the world—and tons of fans.
Poker: Phill Hellmuth
Dubbed the ‘Poker Brat’, Phill Hellmuth is one of the most recognizable and controversial players in the world of professional poker. He’s an incredibly savvy player; not only does he hold the record for the most World Series of Poker bracelet wins, but he’s also taken home wins across five decades. That makes him the most accomplished poker player in history in terms of silverware.
But you might know him better for his penchant for ‘emotional tilt’, a concept that’s well-known to the poker world. Though Hellmuth is a true card shark, he also tends to get in his own way. His over-the-top personality has made him a beloved (and laughable) presence in the poker world—but his inability to get ahold of his emotions at the table might be what he’s most well-known for.
Magic: The Gathering: Jon Finkel
Unlike poker, the other card games on this list aren’t quite as well-known—but they’ve got almost as many fans and players as the traditional card game. Magic: the Gathering is a collectible card game in which many players spend years slowly building an unbeatable deck. That’s the core goal of the game: win powerful cards by taking on opponents with the hopes of finding the rarest.
It’s a truly global affair, which has had a global championship event every year since 1994. Today, cash prizes can reach up to $100k, putting the prize purse on par with a WSOP event. But only the most competitive 24 players in the world will receive an invite. To date, Jon Finkel is regarded as the most elite player. Though he only won one world championship win, he also has a long and illustrious Pro Tour and Grand Prix records for regional competitions. When he retired, he’d earned around $430k in lifetime winnings.
Hearthstone: Raphael Peltzer (BunnyHoppor)
Hearthstone is a relatively new quantity in the collectible card game world. This digital-only game was released in 2014 as part of the World of Warcraft world. If you’ve played the game, you’ll recognize the lore, characters, and items in Hearthstone. Players choose a character or hero to build their deck around, then slowly level up that character by expanding their decks and mana crystals.
Because the game was released at the start of the eSports craze, Hearthstone has a global network of competitions that funnel into a championship series. In fact, this Blizzard release has a prize pool that’s worth around $1 million, dwarfing many other CCG eSports. However, its limited lifetime means it’s harder to assign a ‘best’ player either in terms of tournament wins, lifetime earnings, or popularity. In terms of lifetime earnings, Raphael ‘BunnyHoppor’ Peltzer has a solid lead on other competitors with $507,000 in the bank. However, James ‘Firebat’ Kostesich won the very first world championship and has remained popular since then, making him a fan favorite. Then again, Hearthstone is very popular on Twitch. The most famous streamer covering the game is Thijs Molendjik—who also has a solid tournament history. Over the last five years, he’s become one of the most popular and successful names associated with the game.
